II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4093 

To review and consider terminating the designation of the State of Qatar 

as a major non-NATO ally, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 10, 2024 

Mr. BUDD (for himself, Ms. ERNST, and Mr. SCOTT of Florida) introduced 

the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee 

on Foreign Relations 

A BILL 

To review and consider terminating the designation of the 

State of Qatar as a major non-NATO ally, and for 

other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Reviewing Qatar’s 

5 Major Non-NATO Ally Status Act of 2024’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress makes the following findings: 

8 (1) On October 8, 1997, the Secretary of State 

9 designated Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya 


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•S 4093 IS

1 (‘‘Hamas’’) as a foreign terrorist organization in ac2 cordance with section 219 of the Immigration and 

3 Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189). 

4 (2) In 2012, the State of Qatar allowed Hamas 

5 to open a political office in Doha. 

6 (3) On October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists oper7 ating from Gaza attacked Israel, resulting in the 

8 death of more than 1,200 individuals and the kid9 napping of more than 240 individuals, including the 

10 death of more than 30 and kidnapping of more than 

11 a dozen United States citizens. 

12 (4) Ismail Haniyeh, the chief of Hamas’s polit13 ical bureau, resides in Qatar, as do Khalil al-Hayya, 

14 head of Hamas’s communications office, and Khaled 

15 Mashal, Hamas’s former political chief and current 

16 head of the group’s diaspora office. 

17 (5) On January 6, 2024, in a meeting with a 

18 bipartisan, bicameral delegation of United States 

19 lawmakers, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Moham20 med bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani assured 

21 the delegation that ‘‘since day 1, Qatar has been 

22 strong arming Hamas to get the hostages back’’. 

23 (6) At the end of January 2024, Qatari Prime 

24 Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin 


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1 Jassim Al-Thani asserted publicly that Qatar has no 

2 leverage over Hamas in hostage negotiations. 

3 (7) On February 17, 2024, Qatari Prime Min4 ister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin 

5 Jassim Al-Thani urged a ceasefire in Gaza without 

6 preconditions, undercutting negotiations for the re7 lease of hostages, including United States citizens, 

8 at the Munich Security Conference. 

9 (8) As of April 2024, Hamas continues to hold 

10 5 United States citizens hostage in Gaza, as well as 

11 the bodies of 3 United States citizens believed to be 

12 killed on or shortly after October 7, 2023. 

13 (9) The March 10, 2022, designation of the 

14 State of Qatar as a major non-NATO ally is a privi15 lege which must be continuously earned. 

16 (10) It is in the United States interest to re17 view the designation of certain countries as Major 

18 Non-NATO Allies from time to time as facts and 

19 circumstances change. In fact, the United States 

20 Government terminated Afghanistan’s status as a 

21 major non-NATO ally in July 2022, following the 

22 Taliban’s takeover of that country. 


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1 SEC. 3. APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DE2 FINED. 

3 In this Act, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional com4 mittees’’ means— 

5 (1) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 

6 Senate; and 

7 (2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the 

8 House of Representatives. 

9 SEC. 4. REVIEW OF DESIGNATION OF THE STATE OF QATAR 

10 AS A MAJOR NON-NATO ALLY. 

11 (a) REVIEW AND REPORT.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—In light of the fact that the 

13 State of Qatar hosts Hamas, a United States-des14 ignated terrorist organization with American blood 

15 and hostages on its hands, and the fact that Qatar 

16 continues to host this terrorist organization despite 

17 the continued captivity by Hamas of American hos18 tages, not later than 90 days after the date of the 

19 enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall— 

20 (A) conduct a thorough review of— 

21 (i) bilateral relations between the 

22 United States and Qatar; 

23 (ii) Qatar’s relationship with Hamas; 

24 and 

25 (iii) Qatar’s designation as a major 

26 non-NATO ally; and 


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1 (B) submit to the appropriate congres2 sional committees a detailed written report 

3 summarizing the review. 

4 (2) FORM.—The report required under para5 graph (1) shall be submitted in an unclassified form 

6 but may contain a classified annex. 

7 (b) CERTIFICATION.— 

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—The report required under 

9 subsection (a) shall include a certification from the 

10 Secretary of State as to whether— 

11 (A) it is in the national interest of the 

12 United States for Qatar to maintain its des13 ignation as a major non-NATO ally; 

14 (B) Qatar has exerted any and all leverage 

15 it has over Hamas to secure the release of 

16 United States hostages from Gaza; 

17 (C) Qatar does not directly or indirectly 

18 support, financially or otherwise, acts of inter19 national terrorism or foreign terrorist organiza20 tions, including Hamas; and 

21 (D) Qatar has expelled or agreed to extra22 dite to the United States any individuals deter23 mined to be members of Hamas, including 

24 Ismail Haniyeh, Khalil al-Hayya, Khaled 

25 Mashal, and any other individuals bearing reVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:39 Apr 17, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4093.IS S4093

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1 sponsibility for the terror attack on October 7, 

2 2023. 

3 (2) FORM AND PUBLICATION.—The certifi4 cation required under paragraph (1) shall be in un5 classified form and posted on a publicly available 

6 website of the Department of State. 

7 (c) TERMINATION.—In the event that the Secretary 

8 of State cannot in good faith certify the determinations 

9 described under subsection (b)(1) in the affirmative, the 

10 President— 

11 (1) shall immediately terminate the designation 

12 of the State of Qatar as a major non-NATO ally 

13 pursuant to section 517(a)(1) of the Foreign Assist14 ance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2321k(a)(1)) or any 

15 other provision of law; and 

16 (2) may not issue a separate designation of the 

17 State of Qatar as a major non-NATO ally pursuant 

18 to section 517(a)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act 

19 of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2321k(a)(1)) or any other provi20 sion of law unless the President submits to Congress 

21 a certification described in subsection (b). 

Æ 


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